CHAPTER 15 TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

By Brittany Sapp and Zach Cox

Ch.15 Teaching Mjand Learning MjTechnology in Mj

Special MjEducation MjIssues and Mj

Problems in MjSpecial Mj

Education Mj

Legal and MjPolicy Mj

Directives Mj

NCLB Mj MjImplications MjTrends in the Mj

Prevalence of MjAutism Mj

American Sign MjLanguage Mj

Need for MjTrained Mj

Personnel Mj

Requirements Mjfor Inclusive MjClassroom Mj

Web MjAccessibility Mj

Technology MjIntegration MjStrategies Mj

Tech-Pack MjNeeds and MjChallenges Mj

Foundations of MjIntegration MjStrategies Mj

General MjIntegration Mj

Strategies for All MjStudents Mj

Strategies for MjStudents with Mj

Cognitive MjDisabilities MjStrategies for Mj

Students with MjPhysical Mj

Disabilities MjStrategies for MjStudents with Mj

Sensory MjDisabilities Mj

Strategies for MjAt-Risk Mj

Students Mj

Strategies for MjStudents with Mj

Gifts and MjTalents Mj

Special MjEducation MjContent Mj

Knowledge MjSpecial MjEducation Mj

Pedagogical MjKnowledge Mj

Special MjEducation Mj

Technology MjKnowledge Mj

Strategies for MjImproving Mj

special MjEducation MjTech-Pack Mj

INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION

Education for students with special needs, including those with physical and/or mental deficits and gifted students.

Special Ed Tech has been part of the US Education since 1879 when congress made grant for the production of Braille.

Assistive Technology extending the abilities of an individual in ways that provide physical access and sensory access.

Can also address special teaching and learning needs.

Council for Exceptional Children’s Technology and Media Division (CACTAM).

ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Legal and Policy Directives-- The Technology Related Assistance ACT for Individuals with Disabilities

Provides funding for state wide systems and services to provide assistive tech to individuals with disabilities.

Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT

Mandates every IEP team consider AT when planning their IEP.

IMPLICATIONS OF NCLB ACT

Focuses on adequate yearly progress which requires documentation that each school is meeting specific performance criteria.

Teacher and Paraprofessional Qualifications The use of evidence based practices High Standards for all students

TRENDS IN PREVALENCE OF AUTISM

The number of children with Autism receiving Special ED has increased by 13-28% each year since the early 90’s.

One AT solution has been development video capture and editing solutions.

One example is Video Modeling

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE

ASL has been recognized as a world language and become the third most widely used language.

ASL web-based instruction has been developed with four different aspects:

1. Platform for students to capture, submit, and archive ASL performances

2. A setting for instructors to evaluate and report student performance

3. A portfolio where students can monitor their personal performances

4. An admin. Component to manage and coordinate performance and evaluation data

ISSUES AND PROBLEMS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CONT.

Need for Trained Personnel- Considerable effort has been devoted to identifying the knowledge and skills needed by teachers using assistive tech.

Enhance their own productivity. Enhance effectiveness of instruction and

success of all students. Enable them to acquire and use assistive

tech for students in need of support.

REQUIREMENTS FOR INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS

During 90s, the policy of placing special needs students in separate classrooms changed to allowing them to participate in selected gen. ed. Classes called mainstreaming.

Efforts were made to include them completely in gen. ed. Classrooms called inclusion.

Access is still limited. Still an urgent need for assistive tech.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Universal design has emerged from our understanding of the design of physical environments for individuals with disabilities.

The Center for Applied Special Tech. in collaboration with National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum have helped to create practical approaches for improved access to general curriculum by weaving together new curricula, teaching practices, and policies.

WEB ACCESSIBILITY

There has been a recent push to make websites more usable by people with disabilities.

Using text equivalents with screen readers . Using large or enlargeable images for people

with low vision. Underlining links as well as coloring them for

users with colorblindness.

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION STRATEGIES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

Foundations of Integration Strategies- Tech. integration efforts must include both assistive and instruct. TechAT evaluation process is based on three categories: no tech, low tech, and high tech.Remediation- involves helping an individual learn or improve performanceCompensation- focuses on using tech to accommodate difficulties performing tasks.

STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES

Mild Cognitive Disabilities- Use productivity software as well as other software materials and online resources that can be used.

Reading Skills- Software products such as JumpStart Kindergarten and text-to-speech products.

Writing Skills-Voice recognition software for students who are unable to write by hand.

Math Skills-specialized calculators, simple graphing software materials, games, tutorials.

Moderate and Severe Cognitive Disabilities- alternative keyboards to simplify the demands of interacting with computer.

STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

Power wheelchair operated by joystick. Switches are commonly used for controlling

and getting input to the computer as well as activating environmental control systems.

The goal is to identify tools to access and control across environments.

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION STRATEGIES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION CONT.

Strategies for Students with Sensory DisabilitiesBlind- canes and sensor tech, tools to convert printed info, screen readersPartially sighted- closed circuit television to magnify printed forms.Deaf- multiple formats, assistive listening devices.

STRATEGIES FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS/GIFTED AND TALENTED

At-Risk: AT can be used to motivate and help them be successful.

Gifted and Talented- Technology use for these students is based on the 5 Ps: pace, process, passion, products, and peers.

TECH-PACK NEEDS AND CHALLENGES

Special Ed. Content Knowledge- must understand public law, tech options, and adaptations.

Must keep up with changing laws, caseload options, and tech.

Ped. Knowledge- Even when a teacher is aware of the latest tech, public laws, caseloads, and content, they still need to know correct ped. To assist learner.

SPECIAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY KNOWLEDGE Teachers need to know about the tech and how to use tech that affords learning specific concepts and strategies within their classroom.

Research is required along with time and PD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBbY-s5b1REhttp://www.schooltube.com/video/a04a1d7da74d4ecc868a/

STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING TECH-PACK

Consider the following questions: Do I have the content knowledge needed to

assist my students in meeting the standards within my classroom?

Do I have the tech knowledge needed to teach Special Education Content within my classroom?

Do I have the ped. knowledge?

WEBSITES Learning Technologies Media Lab

http://it.umn.edu Turn Taker App uses visual and audio cues

to facilitate turn taking and sharing for children with disabilities. http://touchautism.com

Web Accessibility Initiative http://www.w3.org/WAI

Illinois Center for Technology Accessibility http://html.cita.uiuc.edu

Building Accessible Websites by Joe Clark http://joeclark.org/book

Power Reader http://projectpossibility.org/viewProject.p

hp?id=1 Web-based social stories

http://www.projectpossibility.org/viewProject.php?id=27

Sign Language Recognizer http://www.projectpossibility.org/viewPro

ject.php?id=30 Problem-based Learning

http://lt.umn.edu/geothentic